Funded in-part by a grant from the California Air Resources Board through California Climate Investments, the project is reportedly the largest ever US deployment of zero-emission school buses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, eliminate mobile criteria pollutants, and provide sustainable transportation for school children in California’s capitol.

Here’s what’s so significant: School buses are the largest segment of mass transit in the United States, carrying twice as many passengers as the entire US transit bus and rail segments combined.

Existing diesel school bus fleets disproportionately expose school children to toxic air contaminants and associated health risks. This large-scale deployment will eliminate mobile criteria pollutants and provide health co-benefits to both school children and the greater community.

In partnership with CARB and SMAQMD, First Priority GreenFleet will deploy the 100% battery-electric, zero-emission eLion Type C school buses and the Trans Tech all-electric eSeries , built on the Ford E450 chassis with an all-electric power train developed by Motiv Power Systems, as well as oversee the implementation of the charging infrastructure with EV Connect and the deployment of the Data Management System to optimize charging.

The goals of the project are to demonstrate that commercially available zero-emission school buses have the lowest cost of ownership, substantially reduce maintenance costs, improve operational performance, and are optimally suited to serve the needs of school districts and sustainably transport California’s kids to and from school.

According to Alex Cherepakhov, Chairman and CEO of First Priority Global, “First Priority GreenFleet is proud to be delivering on the largest US deployment of zero-emission school buses to California that will eliminate mobile toxic exposure for school children, provide health benefits for the Sacramento region, and help California achieve its strong environmental policies and goals.”

The Sacramento zero-emission school bus deployment is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities. The cap-and-trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.